Thread: Rod Bods Dealer along the East Coast?????

Tweet

Thanks guys. I'll check out the Brookville bodies and might be ready to push the button by the time Daytona comes around.

Heres a direct qoute by Brian Martin over at the Hotrodders bulletin board. He speaks of some freinds of mine on a similar topic.

"I have to tell you, after reading this thread this morning I went the Goodguys show and specifically hunted out steel bodies and gave them a "feel". I felt every one there and I have to say, they are REALLY rough. I had the impression that these bodies were like the new parts I deal with everyday at work on late model cars, they are NOT. As Mikey pointed out, VERY poor body lines, door fit, general "waves" and much worse than that most had severe low spots sunken in.

I have only tried to use one of these metal repro early ford parts (other than a few lower body panels on Model A coupes) and that was a Model A front fender. It was so rough, I sent it back and repaired an original bought at a swap meet.

I thought that this was the "old days" as this was 10 years or so ago. But after copping a feel on these bodies, they have not improved one single bit, they are VERY, VERY rough. They would take MANY hours, into a hundred or more I would assume to get them nice enough for my taste.

On the same subject, I checked out one glass body that just knocked me out. It was made by "New Age Motorsports" and was absolutely beautiful! Now, I can not stress enough, I know next to nothing about the fiberglass industry. One 30 minute chat with Mikey (Powerrodsmike) at the show today tells me I know even less than I thought I knew. But this New Age body is absolutely fabulas. It had a very shiney black gel coat and you could see it was VERY straight.

I would look into one of them before the repro steel bodies.

Brian"

I'm not sure what steel bodies he was looking at, but the Brookvilles I have looked at for over 5 years at Daytona are subperb. I would die to have one of the coupe bodies they make.

I kind of wonder about his last statement endorsing the one brand glass body. Almost seems like an advertisement of sorts??

Don

I dont know exactly whos bodies the man speaks of. Its just one mans opinion.

There aren't that many steel bodies out there, are there??


Don

I look forward to seeing whatever '32 bodies the vendors bring to Daytona but from what I've seen and read, I want steel. I would love to see a Rod Bods and Brookville side by side. I've seen Rod Bods for considerably less money from a couple of their dealers which makes it pretty attractive plus I don't want to pay $1500 shipping for any of them.

There's a reason the Rod Bod is less.............as often happens. Pay me now, pay me later.

If you're not a skilled body man the $1500-2000 difference will be made up and surpassed in body work you hire out to get it smooth enough to paint. And if you're not a body man there's no way you'll SEE the waves in the sheet metal. Body men see that sort of thing with their hands, not their eyes. Lay people see the shiny metal and go OOOHHHHHH! I've been around both B'Ville and RB, the B'ville was much smoother by comparison, and the lines are more accurate as well as better lined up to start with. They do require more reinforcement to make them more stable, but in my opinion they're worth it. I looked at their coupe at SEMA last year. Again, very impressive.............but, it did need some straightening to be really nice.............a TON better than the now discontinued Hot Rods & Horsepower coupes.

If you don't have a lot of experience with feeling irregularities in sheetmetal here's a tip. Take a thin cotton glove with you. Then with your hand gloved, run it over the sheetmetal with your fingers and palm flat (most novices tend to try to do this with just their fingers, it works best with the whole hand surface in contact). Concentrate on what your hand feels, don't try to carry on a discussion with your buddies, and don't let the guy selling the body chatter your ear off. If you can feel any irregularity it will show through on the paint big time......the darker the color the worse. Don't just feel across the big expanses like door and forward portion of the quarter, that's a good place to start to get the feel of it. But also feel around the cowl, top, bottom, middle. The last two RB bodies I was around were absolutely horrible in the upper cowl side area near the body line, dished and wobbly, major time consumer to fix right. Feel the curved surfaces too, especially the deck lid, but also the quarter tops, down low in particular.

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

On the same subject, I checked out one glass body that just knocked me out. It was made by "New Age Motorsports" and was absolutely beautiful! Now, I can not stress enough, I know next to nothing about the fiberglass industry. One 30 minute chat with Mikey (Powerrodsmike) at the show today tells me I know even less than I thought I knew. But this New Age body is absolutely fabulas. It had a very shiney black gel coat and you could see it was VERY straight.

That is a laugh. There is a lot more that makes a quality fiberglass body than shiny gelcoat.

Do some searches on the boards for New Age - tons of quality issues there....

The ONLY fiberglass roadster body worth buildng is a Wescott.

A freind of mine recently recieved his new age roadster body from a new mold. He was quite pleased with it. Perhaps, you should do some homework, as their website explains how the body is built, and many people i've talked to say it is a "right on" hand laminated body.

It's a shame someone cant come on one of these forums and state a simple opinion without someone directly trying to put that mans opinion down like he knows nothing at all, and you're Mr. Know It All.

The whole industry seems to have quality control problems. Im sure when wescott, brookeville, outlaw, redneck, and bear started up they had tons of issues. It's a part of growth. One man can like a certain company, while another man could hate a certain company.

As me or anyone else here, you're just an opinion. Ive found by reading through these forums that they're controled by only the guys in the "click" and anyone posting as a newbie to the forum, sometimes bringing up new information is immediattely put down or run off. This doesnt help the forum grow, nor does it help hotrodding grow. When people have to hesitate to put anything on this site that ends up being attacked thats really a shame. Theres no more "fun" here.

There aren't that many steel bodies out there, are there??


Don, at last count there was at least 4 companies building new steel roadsters and coupes. Brookville being the oldest (other than Henry) and perhaps the best. Hot Bods has been around for at least 5 years and I have seen them at nsra York, but can not vouch for their quality. The others probably have only been in the sales business for 2 to 3 years. As the demand increases more will probably get in.

It seems that the majority of big dollar builders, like Brizio and SAR, use Brookville, so there must be a good reason behind their choice.

And if you would die for one of the Brookville bodies, then forget about it. It ain't going to do you any good if you're dead, unless you need a coffin made from it.

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

Perhaps, you should do some homework, as their website explains how the body is built, and many people i've talked to say it is a "right on" hand laminated body.

I think you need to do some homework. As I stated before do a search on some of the boards and you can find out all kinds of info. You'll have an awefully hard time finding someone that is not happy with a Wescott or Brookville product.

And they aren't fully hand laid either.

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

It's a shame someone cant come on one of these forums and state a simple opinion without someone directly trying to put that mans opinion down like he knows nothing at all, and you're Mr. Know It All.

Know it all? maybe in this case, yes. I have been to their shop in Conneticuit, I have owned one of them, so I would say I have a higher level of experience with their product.

Is it not the purpose of these boards to share information and experiences to save others the trouble, heartbreak and disappointment brought on by certain products?

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

As me or anyone else here, you're just an opinion. Ive found by reading through these forums that they're controled by only the guys in the "click" and anyone posting as a newbie to the forum, sometimes bringing up new information is immediattely put down or run off. This doesnt help the forum grow, nor does it help hotrodding grow. When people have to hesitate to put anything on this site that ends up being attacked thats really a shame. Theres no more "fun" here.

You say I'm just an opinion - I'd say I'm an experienced buyer.

You aren't putting up anything "new" here. These guys have been around 4 or 5 years, I first saw the bodies at the '02 Nats.

And as mentioned by others, why do you feel it necessary to stick up for and defend a company you have no affiliation with? There are more than a few people on this very board who have had negative experiences with that product, so they are all wrong and you and your professional bodyman friend are right?

I guess it is just your opinion then right? Based on no experience with any product whatsoever.

[QUOTE=SirSpeedy]I think you need to do some homework.
And they aren't fully hand laid either. [QUOTE]

I only stick up for this product because a freind of mine just recieved his body, and my oninion on it is that it is a dynamite product.

Homework? Funny how you're quick to point a finger at me for being wrong. Bill said that the owner had switched to complete hand lamination.

[QUOTE=SirSpeedy]I guess it is just your opinion then right? Based on no experience with any product whatsoever. [QUOTE]

So basically you are telling me you're the all experienced guro here and i dont know shit. pretty stuck up if ya ask me. As i said ive seen a recent body in person and I liked it, thats all. I have nothing more to say.

Now that I know a bare '32 roadster body will fit in the bed of a full-sized truck, does anyone know the approximate weight? (Steel)

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

So basically you are telling me you're the all experienced guro here and i dont know shit.

Basically.

Originally Posted by BIGBLOCK

A freind of mine recently recieved his new age roadster body from a new mold. He was quite pleased with it. ...

Don't worry speedy uses this forumn to take every opportunity to bad mouth New Age Motorsports. From what I hear, his daddy's money didn't get him what he wanted from New Age so he's upset.
If you understand that, the rest is obvious.